Fremont city manager arrested two weeks before his resignation
A former Fremont city manager who resigned abruptly last month had been arrested for domestic battery and false imprisonment two weeks before his departure, according to San Francisco police.
Officers arrested Mark Danaj, 52, on Sept. 15 on the 300 block of Fremont Street in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail. The incident was first reported by the San Jose Mercury News.
A spokesperson from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Fremont City Council approved Danaj’s resignation during a special closed-session meeting on Sept. 28, and his last day of work was Sept 30.
“It has been my honor to serve the City Council, employees and residents of Fremont,” Danaj said upon submitting his resignation.
Attorney Alison Berry Wilkinson, who represents Danaj, declined to comment on his arrest or his resignation.
In a public statement, Mayor Lily Mei thanked Danaj for three years of “dedicated service” as city manager and several more before that as assistant city manager. The separation agreement between Danaj and the city entitles him to 10and-a-half months’ severance pay at $242,292, as well as $50,000 in accrued leave time he had not used, and $2,350 a month from November through July 2022 to pay for health benefit premiums.
“Mark has led the City through several major milestones this past 18 months as we navigated through an unprecedented historical pandemic,” Mei said. “Through its strong leadership team, Fremont is well positioned to move forward and maintain its track record of stability. I wish Mark all the best.”
Wilkinson cited a confidentiality agreement between her client and the city but said that Danaj had contacted the mayor and each city council member individually to explain the circumstances of his arrest before he stepped down.
The city-appointed Assistant City Manager Brian Stott has taken Danaj’s position on a interim basis until further notice.